Dispensing device for slotted,apertured washers

ABSTRACT

A device for dispensing individual slotted washers has a storage rail adapted to hold an upright stack of washers. A free end of the rail is spacedly adjacent the top face of a stationary base. Individual washers are withdrawn from the gap between the storage rail and the top face by gripping tongs which are guided toward the last washer of the stack through a channel upwardly offset from the top face of the base to permit the jaws of the tongs to slip over the top of a washer lying on the top face for engagement with the aperture in the last washers. Means are provided for shifting the last washer and the remainder of the stack transversely to each other in response to the movement of the tongs through the channel so as to expose the aperture in the last washer for engagement with the tongs.

United States Patent [72 Imcntors Richard Klein [56] References Cited Berkheim UNITED STATES PATENTS l 1 App No $323 Muenchmgm Germany 3,092,287 6/1963 Erdmann 221/3124 Filed Dec 12 1968 3,134,168 5/1964 Erdmann 221/312X 1451 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS [73] Assignee Hugo Benzing KG 830,325 3/1960 Great Britain 221/312 Muenchmgen Germany Primary Examiner--Stanley H. Tollberg 1 a company of Germany Attorney-Richard Low [32] Pr10r1ty Dec. 20, 1968 [33] Germany P 16 03 737-9 ABSTRACT: A device for dispensing individual slotted washers has a storage rail adapted to hold an upright stack of washers. A free end of the rail is spacedly adjacent the top face of a stationary base. Individual washers are withdrawn from the gap between the storage rail and the top face by gri ing ton s which are guided toward the last washer of the [54] DISPENSING DEVICE FOR SLOTTED sta fi througi a channel upwardly offset from (the top face of APERTURED S R the base to permit the jaws of the longs to slip over the top of a 12 12 Drawmg Flgs' washer lying on the top face for engagement with the aperture [52] US. Cl 221/274, in the last washers. Means are provided for shifting the last 221/312 washer and the remainder of the stack transversely to each [51] Int. Cl 865g 59/00 other in response to the movement of the tongs through the [50] Field of Search 221/312, channel so as to expose the aperture in the last washer for en- 274 gagement with the tongs.

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR SLO'I'I'EI). APERTURED WASHERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dispensing device for slotted, apertured, flat washers, and particularly to a device which stores washers in a stack and releases them individually for removal by gripping tongs.

The washers with which this invention is more specifically concerned are flat, generally annular discs of spring-tempered metal which are radially slotted, and in which the otherwise very narrow slot has an enlargement for engagement by the jaws of gripping tongs. The two arms of the tongs are angularly bent rods whose bright portions are hingedly connected in such a manner that one pair of free ends of the rods moves apart when the other pair of ends is moved toward each other. One pair of ends carries short transverse jaws, and the other pair of ends provides handles. A spring normally holds the jaws in abutting engagement with each other so that the jaws may be inserted jointly into the enlargement of the aforementioned washer. When the handles are pressed manually toward each other, the jaws are moved apart and engage the washer from the inside, thus permitting the washer to be carried on the tongs. Tongs of the type described are commonly used by mechanics for gripping individual washers and positioning them on machinery. Semicircular flanges on the two arms adjacent the jaws prevent tilting of the gripped washer.

Known devices which store washers of the type described and dispense them for individual withdrawal by gripping tongs are not entirely satisfactory. Some of them are rather complex and costly. Others require too much of the mechanics attention during removal of a washer if not more than one washer is to be removed at any one time and the next washer is to be made ready for removal automatically. Yet other known devices make it difficult to remove a washer without marring its surface finish or without scraping the remaining washers of the stack.

The object of the invention is the provision of a dispensing device for slotted, apertured washers of the type described which is simple and rugged in its construction, permits individual washers to be removed by tongs of the described construction without requiring special precautions or care on the part of the operator, and makes it impossible to withdraw more than one washer at one time.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one of its basic aspects, the invention provides a dispensing device including a base and a storage member having an elongated guide portion shaped to be received in the apertures of washers longitudinally aligned in a stack. Mounting means secure the storage member on the base in a position in which the direction of elongation of the guide portion is transverse to a supporting face on the base, and a free longitudinal end of the guide portion is spacedly adjacent a contact portion of the supporting face, whereby a last washer in the stack is biased by gravity from the storage member toward the contact portion of the supporting face when the latter is horizontal and faces upward.

Walls define an elongated channel for guiding a gripping tool toward the contact portion. The bottom wall of the channel is substantially parallel to the supporting face of the base and is offset from the latter toward the free end of the storage member portion. A displacing mechanism is provided for moving the last washer and the remainder of the stack on the guide portion of the storage member relative to each other transversely of the direction of elongation of the guide portion, and for thereby exposing an aperture in the last washer for engagement by the tongs. The mechanism responds to movement of the tongs through the channel toward the contact portion of the supporting face.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a washer dispensing apparatus of the invention in side elevation in its rest position;

FIG. 1A shows an element of the apparatus of FIG. I in fragmentary front elevation;

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in plan section on the line II-II;

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 2 in a fragmentary view on a larger scale, the device being in its operative position;

FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 3 in side elevation;

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 without some of the elements seen in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 shows yet another modification of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a view corresponding to that of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a side-elevational view of another dispensing apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 8 shows the apparatus of FIG. 7 in enlarged plan section on the line VIII-VIII;

FIG. 9 shows the device of FIG. 8 in fragmentary elevational section on the line IX-IX;

FIG. 10 shows the device of FIG. 9 in section on the line X-X in a different operating position; and

FIG. 11 is an elevational fragmentary view of the device of FIG. 10in section on the line XI-XI.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen an approximately box-shaped hollow base 7 of cast metal. A forked bracket 6 projecting from the top face of the base 7 carries an upright storage rail 1 which is attached to the bracket by a pivot pin 2. A leaf spring 3 on the bracket 6 engages a pin 4 on the rail 1, and biases the rail counterclockwise toward the position seen in FIG. 1 in which the rail abuts against the bracket in the fork of the latter in a manner not shown in detail. Pivoting movement of the rail 1 from the illustrated position in a clockwise direction is limited by another pin 5 on the rail which is located to engage the bracket 6.

A bead 12 on a longitudinal edge of the rail 1 and narrow longitudinal, ribs 12 near the edge are shaped for engagement with a stack of identical, aligned, slotted washers 11. The lower end of the rail 1 has an oblique rectangular front face la as the rail tapers in depth to the guide portion between the bead l2 and the ribs 12'. The bottom end of the front face is triangular, as best seen in FIG. 1A, as the guide portion of the rail 1 tapers in the direction of its width to the lower free end.

As is apparent from joint consideration of FIGS. 2 to 4, a unitary guide plate 10 is attached to the top face of the base 7. A lateral slot wide enough to accommodate one washer 9 with little clearance almost separates the rear portion 10a of the guide plate 10 from the front portion which consists of two lateral elements 10b, which form the sidewalls of a shallow guide channel whose bottom wall 10d is also an integral portion of the plate 10. Except for the thicker elements 10b, 10c, the thickness of the guide plate 10 is equal to or only very slightly greater than the thickness of each individual washer 9, 1 1.

The rail I is mounted on the bracket 6 by the pin 2 in such a position that the distance between the free, lower end of the rail and the top face of the base 7 is only slightly greater than the thickness of one washer 9, 11 or the thickness of the rear portion 10a or of the bottom wall 10d of the guide plate 10. As is seen in FIG. 2, the rail I normally is held by the spring 3 in alignment of its guide portion with the exposed contact portion of the top face in the lateral slot of the guide plate. The weight of the stacked washers 11 thus biases the last washer 9 into the slot and into engagement with the contact face portion of the base 7.

When it is desired to withdraw a washer, the jaws of the aforedescribed gripping tongs are introduced into the flaring front end of the channel in the guide plate 10 and moved rearward through the channel. When the tongs ultimately engage the front face 1b of the rail 1 the rail and the stack of washers 11 are displaced horizontally from the last washer 9 into the position shown in FIG. 3, so that the stack of washers l1 rests on the rear portion 10a of the plate 10, and the enlargementor aperture in the slot of the washer 9 becomes accessible to the jaws of :the tongs which drop into the aperture. The jaws are long enough to keep the arms of the nonillustrated tongs above the level of the higher elements 10b, 100 of the guide plate 10. It is therefore possible to squeeze the handle of the tongs, thereby expanding the jaws in the aperture of the washer 9, and to remove the washer on the tongs by lateral movement along the back portion 10a which provides an abutment preventing rearward movement of the washer 9 with the rail 1 during the pivoting movement of the latter.

As the tongs are withdrawn, the rail 1 is returned to the position of FIGS. 1 and 2 by the spring 3. The stack of washers 11 again is aligned with the contact face of the base 7 in the lateral slot of the guide plate 10, and the now lowermost washer drops into the position occupied by the washer 9 in the views of FIGS. 1 to 4.

The jaws of thetongs are safely guided toward the washer 9 by the walls of the guide channel between the elements 10b, 10c, 10d of the guide plate. Because of the upward spacing-10f the bottom wall 10d'from the top face of the base 7, the jaws are guided over the top of the washer 9 into the aperture in the same without any conscious effort on the part of the operator or mechanic holding the tongs. The washer received in the slot of the guide plate guides the removal of the washer and of the tongs. The washer is backed by the rear portion 10a of the guide plate, and the backward movement of the tongs along the wall 10d is thus stopped when the jaws drop into the aperture of the washer. It is also stopped by abutting engagement with the rail 1 which is backed by the pin engaging the bracket 6.

If lateral removal of the lowermost washer 9 from the dispensing apparatus is inconvenient, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 may be modified to permit forward withdrawal.

FIG. 5 only shows those elements of the modified device which differ from their counterparts in FIGS. 1 to 4. The guide plate is replaced by three separate guide elements 10a 10b 10C, and 10d The element 100' is fixed on the base 7, not itself shown in FIG. 5, and provides an abutment preventing rearward movement of the lowermost washer9 while the latter rests on the contact face portion of the base.

The guide channel for the tongs is bounded laterally by elements 10b, 10a which are guided transversely to the direction of elongation of the channel in recesses 13, 14 of the base 7, and are normally held in the illustrated position by helical compression springs 15, 16. The bottom wall 10d of the guide channel is a thin plate fixedly fastened on the top face of the base 7.

The width of the guide channel between the elements 10b 10c is sufficient only to accommodate the jaws of the nonillustrated tongs when the elements are in the position seen in FIG. 5. When the jaws have gripped the washer 9, they are lifted slightly so that the washer clears the bottom wall 10d and can then be withdrawn forwardly, spreading the elements 10c 10d apart as it moves through the guide channel.

A similar mode of operation is provided in the modification of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 4 shown in FIG. 6. It will be understood that all elements not specifically shown or described otherwise, are identical with those seen in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The guide plate shown in these FIGS. is replaced by several independent elements. An abutment element 100 having a width slightly smaller than the diameter of the washers 9, ll

extends forward from the bracket 6. Its thickness is equal to the thickness of one washer. It is flanked by lateral elements- 10b",10:: pivoted to the top face of the base 7 by upright pins 20, 21 on opposite sides of the bracket 6 so that the thin parts of the elements l0a",l0b" near the pivot pins are raised above the top face of the base 7 by slightly more than the thickness of one washer. They have cam edges 10e, 10f which converge in a forward direction and are positioned to extend over a washer 9 resting on the top face of the base 7 in abutting engagement with the concavely arcuate front face of the abutment element 10a".

The thicker free end portions of the elements l0b",10c remote from the pins 20,21 extend upward'and downward from the correspondingportions near the pivot pins so as to rest on the top surface of the base. Ledges 10d" projecting from the elements 10b",10c" abuttingly engage each other to form the bottom wall of a guide channel leading rearward to the washer 9 and flush with the upper face of the washer 9.

The angular displacement of the elements 10b",10c is limited by pins 18 which upwardly project from the top face of the base 7 into arcuate slots 17 of the elements 10 ",10 c".The arcs of the slots 17 are centered in the axes of the pins 20, 21, respectively. Pins 19 in each of the elements project downward into a common recess 22 of the base 7 in which they are connected by a helical tension spring (not shown) in a manner obvious from FIGS. 8 to 11. The spring normally holds the elements in the position shown in FIG. 6.

The camming engagement of the edges 10e, 10f with the lowermost washer ll of the stack still in the guide bead 12 of the storage rail holds the pin 5 in engagement with the bracket 6 against the restraint of the spring 3. The normal or rest position of the storage rail in the device of FIG. 6 thus is not the same as shown in FIG. 1. The lowermost washer 11 still on the rail rests mainly on the abutment element 10a and partly overhangs the washer 9 which is in direct contact with the supporting top face of the base 7.

When the jaws of the gripping tongs are introduced into the guide channel between the elements l0b",10c" over the ledges l0d",they are guided smoothly into the aperture of the washer 9, and further inward or rearward movement of the tongs is prevented by the washer 9 engaging the abutment element 10a" and by the pin 5 engaging the bracket 6 so that the tongs cannot displace the storage rail from the position seen in FIG. 6.

When the tongs thereafter are pulled forward together with the washer 9, the latter spreads the ledges 10 apart and slides forward on the top face of the base 7 and out of the guide channel. The tips of the jaws may project downward from the washer 9 and be received in a groove 7a of the base. As the elements 10b",.10c" move apart, the cam edges 10e, 10f release the lowermost washer 1 1, and the storage rail can be moved by the spring-3 into a position in which the lowermost washer 11 clears the abutment element 10a" and can drop to the contact portion of the base face occupied by the washer 9 in FIG. 6. As withdrawal of the latter is completed and the elements 10a",10b" are returned to the illustrated position by the nonillustrated spring connecting the pins 19, the storage rail also is returned to the position shown in the drawing.

While the lowermost washer 9 is laterally offset from the remainder of the washers 11 on the stack by swinging movement of the storage rail 1 in the devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the apparatus of the invention may readily be modified to hold the stack of washers in a position fixed relative to the normally stationary base, and to move the lowermost washer laterally. A preferred example of such a modification is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to l 1.

Referring initially to FIG. 7, there is seen a storage rail 31 fixedly attached by rivets 32 to the forked end portion 34 of a bracket 36, itself fixedly mounted on a base 37 closely similar to the aforedescribed base 7. The rail 31 is a flat steel bar made rigid by a longitudinal bead 42, better seen in FIG. 8 and spacedly adjacent the rear edge of the rail. The bottom end of the rail 31 is tapered. the portion of the rail in front of the bead 42 being cut away. and the remaining guide portion being dimensioned for being received in the slots and apertures of washers 39. 41 identical with the washers described above. The spacing of the lower free end of the rail 31 and the top face of the base 37 slightly exceeds twice the thickness of a washer.

The mechanism which causes the last washer and the remainder of the stack of washers to be moved relative to each other transversely of the direction of elongation of the bead 42 includes a rectangular abutment plate 35 having the thickness of one washer, as is best seen in FIGS. 9-11, a width smaller than the diameter of a washer, and a length, rear to front, so as to extend from the bracket 36 somewhat beyond the rear edge of the rail 31.

Two guide arms 40, 40 are hingedly fastened to the top face of the base 37 by upright pivot pins 43, 44 on either side of the front edge of the plate 35 and extend mainly forward from the pins. The main portions of the arms have a thickness three times the thickness of a washer 39, 41 and form the parallel sidewalls of a guide channel about as wide as an aperture 39a provided by an enlargement in the slot of each washer 39, 41. Ledges 40e, 40f project from the arms 40, 40' toward each other to form the bottom wall of the guide channel in the rest position of the apparatus seen in FIGS. 8 and 9. The ledges 40e, 40f have a thickness equal to the thickness of one washer 39, 41, and are directly supported on the top face of the base 37, as are the main portions of the arms 40, 40' except for parts of the arms underlying straight cam edges 40c, 40d which re are recessed. The recesses are downwardly open and have a height slightly exceeding the thickness of a washer 39, 41. The cam edges 40c, 40d flare rearwardly from the rear end of the aforedescribed guide channel. The forwardly flaring front end of the guide channel is downwardly bounded by triangular portions 40g, 40!: of the ledges 40e, 40f.

The guide arms 40, 40 are normally held in the position seen in FIG. 8 by a strong helical tension spring 45, substantially identical with the nonillustrated spring referred to above with reference to FIG. 6. The spring 45 is stressed between pins 47, 48 which extend downward into the hollow interior of the base 37 through arcuate slots 37a, thereby b in the top face of the base and thereby also limit the angular displacement of the arms 40, 40 on the pins 43, 44.

Jaws 40a, 40b, respectively, project from the rear ends of the guide arms 40, 40' toward each other. They are rectangular plates almost as thick as one washer 39, 41 and are elongated approximately radially relative to the axes of the pins 43, 44 and at right angles to the cam edges 40c, 40d. They are spaced apart by approximately one half the diameter of a washer 39, 41 in the position of FIG. 8. The bottom surfaces of the jaws 40a, 40b slide on the top surface of the abutment plate 35 so that the top surfaces of the jaws are slightly less than two washer thicknesses above the top plate of the base 37.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 7 to l 1 will now be described, starting with the normal rest position seen in FIGS. 8 and 9.

A washer 39 is held in a receptacle bounded downwardly by a contact portion of the top face of the base 37, rearwardly by the front edge of the abutment plate 35, laterally and forwardly by the walls of the recesses in the arms 40, 40', and upwardly by the edges 40c, 40d and the lowermost washer of the stack 33. All washers 41 in the stack except for the lowennost one receive the rail 31 with its bead 42 in their apertures 39. The lowermost washer in the stack 33 is held in position on the top face of the plate 35 under the weight of the other washers in the stack and by the cam edges 40c, 40d. It is sufficiently offset from the washer 39 in the aforementioned receptacle to expose the aperture 39a of the washer 39 to nonillustrated jaws of gripping tongs guided in the aforementioned channel on the ledges 40e, 40f.

The position of the anns 40, 40' is maintained until the tips ,of the jaws on the tongs drop into the aperture 39a, and

abutting engagement with the rigidly mounted front edge of the rail 31 prevents further rearward movement of the tongs. During the subsequent withdrawal of the washer 39 in a forward direction, camming engagement between the washer and the sidewalls of the receptacle under the edges 400,401! causes the arms 40, 40' to be swung apart against the restraint of the spring 45 so that the washer 39 can pass between the ledges 40e, 40f while sliding on the supporting top face of the base 37, and can be removed from the illustrated apparatus on the prongs.

During the swinging movement of the arms 40, 40' from the position of FIG. 8 to that of FIGS. 9 and 10, the jaws 40a, 40b on the arms push the lowermost washer 41 forward beyond the front edge of the abutment plate 35 so that it can drop to the face of the base 37. The remainder of the stack, seen in phantom view in FIG. 10, rests on the jaws 40a, 40b at this stage, and drops to the abutment plate 35 when the arms 40, 40' are returned to their rest position by the spring 45 after removal of the washer 39, whereby the apparatus is ready to dispense another washer, and not more than one washer.

As in the aforedescribed embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the mechanic wishing to withdraw a washer need do no more than place the tips of the tong jaws on the bottom wall 40g, 40h as the flaring front end of the guide groove, move the tongs rearwardly as far as they will go, squeeze the handle a little to expand the jaws, and withdraw the tongs with the gripped washer in a forward direction. Gravity normally causes the necessary vertical shift of the tong jaws by one washer thickness during this operation.

If it is desired to operate the illustrated devices in a position other than that illustrated so that the top face of the base 7, 37 is not horizontal, and the rails l, 31 are not upright, compression springs must be provided in an obvious manner to bias the stacks of washer 1 l, 41 on the storage rails toward the guiding elements. Washers will then be shifted longitudinally of the rails into contact with the supporting face of the base 7, 37 not by the weight of the remainder of the stack but by the pressure of the spring backing the stack.

Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It should, therefore, be understood that the foregoing description relates only to preferred embodiments, and that the invention is not limited to the specific illustrative examples chosen for the purpose of the disclosure.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device for slotted, apertured washers comprising, in combination:

a. a base defining a supporting face;

b. a storage member having an elongated guide portion shaped to be received in the apertures of washers constituting a longitudinally aligned stack of washers;

c. mounting means mounting said storage member on said base in a position in which the direction of elongation of said guide portion is transverse to said face, and a free longitudinal end of said guide portion is spacedly adjacent a contact portion of said face, whereby a last washer in said stack is biased by gravity from said storage member toward said contact portion when said supporting face is horizontal and faces upward;

. wall means including two wall members defining an elongated channel for guiding a gripping tool adapted to grip said last washer, said channel having a bottom wall substantially parallel to said face and offset from the latter toward said free end, said wall members being movable toward and away from a position in which respective opposite faces of said wall members extend in the direction of elongation of said channel and laterally bound the channel, yieldably resilient means biasing said wall members toward said position thereof, and cam means on said wall members engageable with said lowermost washer during movement of the same by said tool outward of said receptacle in the direction of elongation of said channel for moving said wall members apart; and

e displacing means responsive to movement of said tool along said wall means for moving the last washer and the remainder of said stack on said storage member relative to each other transversely of said direction toward a position in which an aperture in said last washer is exposed for engagement by said tool 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means secure said storage member to said base for 'pivoting movement, and said displacing means include an abutment face on said storage member engageable by said tool during I movement of the same through said channel for pivoting said storage member, and abutment means on said base for preventing movement of said last washer with the pivoting storage member.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment means include an abutment member having a face directed toward said channel and spaced from the same, said mounting means including means limiting movement of said free end in a direction from said channel toward said face of the abutment member to a position of the storage member in which said free end extends beyond the face of the abutment member toward said channel.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an abutment member on said base having a face directed toward said channel, said face of the abutment member and said bottom wall bounding therebetween a receptacle for said lower most washer, said contact portion of said supporting face extending between said face of the abutment member and said bottom wall and the elongated channel being narrower than said receptacle in said position of said two wall members.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, said wall means and said abutment member defining a path on said supporting face transverse to said guide channel and outward of said receptacle.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising ledge means projecting from at least one of said opposite faces, said ledge means constituting said bottom wall in said position of said wall members 7 A device as set forth in claim 1. wherein said displacing means include cam means on said wall members for moving said storage member relative to said receptacle when said wall members are being moved away from said position thereof.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising pivot means securing each of said wall members to said base for angular movement of said wall members toward and away from said position.

9. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said storage member is rigid, and said position of the storage member on said base is fixed, said displacing means including moving means for moving said last washer. i

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said wall means include two wall members offset transversely of the direction of elongation of said channel and movable toward and away from each other, said moving means including jaw means on said wall members engageable with said last washer for moving the same in response to relative movement of said wall members.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising an abutment member on said supporting face, said abutment member having a top face spacedly opposite said free end, and an abutment face transverse to said top face, said contact portion of said supporting face extending between said abutment face and said channel, said abutment face, said contact portion, and said wall members defining therebetween a receptacle for said last washer, and said jaw means being effective for moving said last washer from said top face of said abutment member toward said receptacle.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, means on said wall members bounding said receptacle in a direction away from said contact portion when said wall members are in a position adjacent each other, and yieldably resilient means biasing said wall members toward said position thereof. 

1. A dispensing device for slotted, apertured washers comprising, in combination: a. a base defining a supporting face; b. a storage member having an elongated guide portion shaped to be received in the apertures of washers constituting a longitudinally aligned stack of washers; c. mounting means mounting said storage member on said base in a position in which the direction of elongation of said guide portion is transverse to said face, and a free longitudinal end of said guide portion is spacedly adjacent a contact portion of said face, whereby a last washer in said stack is biased by gravity from said storage member toward said contact portion when said supporting face is horizontal and faces upward; d. wall means including two wall members defining an elongated channel for guiding a gripping tool adapted to grip said last washer, said channel having a bottom wall substantially parallel to said face and offset from the latter toward said free end, said wall members being movable toward and away from a position in which respective opposite faces of said wall members extend in the direction of elongation of said channel and laterally bound the channel, yieldably resilient means biasing said wall members toward said position thereof, and cam means on said wall members engageable with said lowermost washer during movement of the same by said tool outward of said receptacle in the direction of elongation of said channel for moving said wall members apart; and e. displacing means responsive to movement of said tool along said wall means for moving the last washer and the remainder of said stack on said storage member relative to each other transversely of said direction toward a position in which an aperture in said last washer is exposed for engagement by said tool.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means secure said storage member to said base for pivoting movement, and said displacing means include an abutment face on said storage member engageable by said tool during movement of the same through said channel for pivoting said storage member, and abutment means on said base for preventing movement of said last washer with the pivoting storage member.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment means include an abutment member having a face directed toward said channel and spaced from the same, said mounting means including means limiting movement of said free end in a direction from said channel toward said face of the abutment member to a position of the storage member in which said free end extends beyond the face of the abutment member toward said channel.
 4. A device as set forth iN claim 1, further comprising an abutment member on said base having a face directed toward said channel, said face of the abutment member and said bottom wall bounding therebetween a receptacle for said lowermost washer, said contact portion of said supporting face extending between said face of the abutment member and said bottom wall and the elongated channel being narrower than said receptacle in said position of said two wall members.
 5. A device as set forth in claim 4, said wall means and said abutment member defining a path on said supporting face transverse to said guide channel and outward of said receptacle.
 6. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising ledge means projecting from at least one of said opposite faces, said ledge means constituting said bottom wall in said position of said wall members.
 7. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said displacing means include cam means on said wall members for moving said storage member relative to said receptacle when said wall members are being moved away from said position thereof.
 8. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising pivot means securing each of said wall members to said base for angular movement of said wall members toward and away from said position.
 9. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said storage member is rigid, and said position of the storage member on said base is fixed, said displacing means including moving means for moving said last washer.
 10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said wall means include two wall members offset transversely of the direction of elongation of said channel and movable toward and away from each other, said moving means including jaw means on said wall members engageable with said last washer for moving the same in response to relative movement of said wall members.
 11. A device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising an abutment member on said supporting face, said abutment member having a top face spacedly opposite said free end, and an abutment face transverse to said top face, said contact portion of said supporting face extending between said abutment face and said channel, said abutment face, said contact portion, and said wall members defining therebetween a receptacle for said last washer, and said jaw means being effective for moving said last washer from said top face of said abutment member toward said receptacle.
 12. A device as set forth in claim 11, means on said wall members bounding said receptacle in a direction away from said contact portion when said wall members are in a position adjacent each other, and yieldably resilient means biasing said wall members toward said position thereof. 